Heaven or Hell

A man once asked the Lord to know to what heaven and hell might be compared. The Lord showed him two doors. He opened one of them and found a large pot of stew which smelled delicious and made the man’s mouth water. But the people sitting around the table appeared thin and sickly. They appeared to be famished. Each of them had a long spoon strapped to their arm and each found that while they could easily reach the pot of stew and take a spoonful, they could not get the spoon back to their mouth because the handle was too long. There was misery, suffering, cursing, and anger – the man shuddered at the sight. The Lord said – “You have seen something like hell.”

When the second door was opened, the man saw a large table like the first one, with another delicious pot of stew that made his mouth water. The people there had the same long handled spoons attached to their arms, but they were well fed. There was joy, laughter, talking, and praising God here. The man was amazed – “What made the difference, I don’t understand.” “It is simple”, said the Lord. “It requires only one skill – that they learn to feed each other. The greedy think only of themselves, but those who would please the Lord have learned to think of their neighbor.”

It has been said a friend is someone who reaches for your hand and touches your heart. Others say that ‘true friends’ can be recognized because they always hold hands – but true friends don’t need to always hold hands because they know that the others hand will be there when they need it. Read Matt 25:31-46 and Rom 12:9-21.

John 15:12-14 “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command.”